Sorry, I'm late

My posting today was very late. There are all kinds of reasons for this that I won't write about here. It reminds me, however, of God's timing. I often consider Him to be late. I often think that I'm waiting too long. Advent is about the fact that 400 years of silence and waiting were pierced by a voice (John the Baptist's) calling out in the desert, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him." (Luke 3:4b)

Generations were born, lived, and died waiting for God in these 400 years between what we call the Old and New Testaments. How those people's ears must have ached to hear the Word of God. Second Temple Judaism, as it is referred to now, developed as a political authority under authority. The answer to the question, "Who's the boss?" changed from the Persians to the Greeks, to the Jewish Hasmoneans, and finally to the Romans. John the Baptist broke the chain with his prophetic cry. He still does. His command is still relevant. I need to remember this today. My entire job and life's purpose is the prepare the way for Him and make a straight path for Him. He's the star. He's the point. As the sign in front of our church says, "Jesus is the reason believers endure any season." He's not just the reason for the season, He's the reason for everything.

What in your life seems late? How has your experience of God's timing helped you understand His faithfulness?

Bigger than Life

A good life is always about more than a good life. It's always bigger. A great life has a purpose that transcends it. The birth of Christ brought together and lifted the life purposes of many people, a few of which we meet in Scripture. In Luke 2:25-26 it says, "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ." Scripture tells us accounts like this for a reason. We're supposed to look at our own lives. What are we waiting for? The answer to this question reveals our destiny. Is it a fulfillment of something we've heard from God, or is it something less? I feel the Holy Spirit constantly reminding me that settling for something less is never His will. Think of the anticipation of Simeon. It framed his life. It filled his mind. It informed his every decision. He was set up by the Holy Spirit to long for and look for Jesus. His eyes were trained for any sign of the sight of Him. Every day he woke up and thought, "This could be the day that I see the Savior with my own eyes!" One day it was!

What are you looking forward to today? Is your anticipation for Jesus or for something less? Do you have anything in your life that is bigger than your life?

Madrigals

I make fun of my own singing all the time. I'm no Bono, but, actually, at The University of Connecticut in the 80's, I was a bass section leader for the Concert Choir. People filled large venues to hear us perform Handel's "Messiah," Faure's "Requiem," Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms," Brahms' "A German Requiem," and Mendelssohn's "Elijah," to name of few masterpieces I had the privilege of performing in my early 20's. I was also a Madrigal, a member of small, select ensemble from within the choir that performed Baroque and Renaissance choral music, especially around Christmas.

For weeks in December, we performed for people in period costumes in a theatrical setting while they ate first rate meals. People paid well for these events, which were sold out far in advance. Even some of the food was authentic to the 16th and 17th centuries. I love these memories. My two loves at the time, music and theatre, combined into a labor-intensive, rewarding experience. The best part came from watching how much fun people had. It was a highlight of the season for many people. We sang from table to table and performed all manner of carefully scripted hijinks. We ended the evening with the best choral performances one can find in a large University setting anywhere. I'm not ashamed to say that I was proud to be a part of these troupes of performers. Though we were only students, we were a driven and able group. We did our best so that our audience/customers enjoyed themselves. I think these experiences help me understand the viewpoint of the angels on the night Christ was born. They put on a show for unsuspecting shepherds that had never been seen and will never be seen again. Luke 2:13-14 says, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" There's no way that the shepherds were too busy to notice, yet I wonder about us now. I wonder if the way we live our lives renders us deaf to the voices of angels.

Are you too busy to notice God's attempts to inspire you? Do you appreciate the heart and effort behind all that God does and plans for you? Do you know how much God loves you and loves to bless you?

Government for the People

Isaiah 9:7
"Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this."

As I read this verse this year I keep staring at the word "government." A few things come to mind:

1) I should want nothing more than government by God. Our world suffers at the hands of men. Our country, great as it is, is being brought down by men, like every over great country in the history of the world. What is government by God? I have no idea. It certainly is not government by people who claim to be Christians. That's what we've had and what we've got now. It must be something different. It must be something spiritual. What thoughts do you have on this?

2) All human governments will end. We place our faith in them at our own peril.

3) Government by God means peace. If there's a lack of peace, there's a lack of God. War is a test, not a validation, of the character and faith of people.

4) False peace is the most deceptive power on earth. It is a "form of Godliness" with no power.

The problem I see in my life is that not only do I want to trust the human government over me, but I want to trust the human government within me. All of it eventually fails. Advent reminds me of this fact and of what God offers as a better alternative: "Christ in me, the hope of glory."

Who's running things in your life and world today? Is there a lack of peace that shows a lack of God in your life?

Christmas Cartoons

When I was kid we didn't even have remote control for our televisions. The first one I saw was a dial exactly like the one on the set with 15-foot, heavy wire leashing it to the television. We also didn't have hundreds of channels. We had three main channels (ABC, NBC, and CBS) and channel 13 (PBS). This meant that when "Frosty the Snowman" or "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" came on in the weeks before Christmas, it was huge event for us. We knew in advance thanks to the TV Guide and we would plan our evenings accordingly. We even made popcorn, which we had to eat out in the hallway; no food in the family room back in those days. I remember thinking that these shows and the nights we watched them were perfect. The greatest of all these shows for me was "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I still get chills when I watch and hear Linus quote from the King James Bible in their Christmas pageant. It was the highlight of the show and the show within the show. Linus read Luke 2:8-15: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." The point of the story of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is, of course, that we need to remember the real meaning of Christmas, exactly what these verses describe. By the way, Luke 2:14 is written in wooden letters above the cross and altar in Goodwill's sanctuary.

It's three short weeks till Christmas. How are you doing with the real meaning of Christmas? Do you know the peace the angels were talking about?

Tinsel and Tinkles

Shannon and I went to see The Nutcracker at the NYC Ballet a few years ago. She had never seen it. Tchaikovsky is a great composer, so much so that this solid classic is not even one of his best works. Nevertheless, the Nutcracker is like Christmas on steroids. My little sister took ballet and I remember her scurrying across the stage in her tutu every Christmas every year for what felt like the first eighty years of my childhood. Even now, as I'm writing about it and you're reading about it, we can all hear the music in our heads. If you can't, go to the iTunes store, type in Nutcracker, click on the 2nd song they list and hear 20 seconds of it for free. Don't worry, it'll play in your head for the rest of today and tomorrow. There's something about Christmas and fantasy that clings to our minds. It starts when we're kids. I wonder sometimes if this isn't more connected to the true meaning of Christmas than we all realize. In speaking about the quest of the Magi in Matthew 2:9-10 it says, "After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." Maybe all that is tinsel and tinkles about Christmas is our subconscious attempt to join the Magi in their chase of that eastern star. How brilliant and riveting a sight it must have been. Nothing stokes our imaginations like a chance to touch The Creator of imagination. Every curiosity and fascination of our minds is secondary and subservient to our curiosity and fascination with God. The promise of Christ manifested at His birth is the promise of our curiosity's satisfaction. In Christ, and in Christ alone, we will see God!

Is God the most interesting part of today for you or is there something else? Does faith in Christ inspire your imagination?

Obligated to Give

Sometimes the holidays land us in a position where we feel obligated to give a gift. In Matthew 1:24 it says, "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." It seems Joseph was the first person to give a obligatory gift. He had to give up his rights to his future wife to God. I'm always fascinated with Joseph. He was just as chosen as Mary. I could argue that he was more so. His name and pedigree would have to be and would be assigned to Jesus legitimately and permanently. He had to accept bearing Jesus just as much as Mary did. Mary's DNA was used, but something equally intimate from a Biblical standpoint, Joseph's name, was also required. It's what all those "begats" are all about. Joseph was the human father. This meant, in his day, that he was Jesus' main parent. He was the head of the house and 100% responsible for raising Jesus. Imagine this. More than any other human being and much more than Mary while he was alive, Joseph was responsible for Jesus. He had to protect him, feed him, teach him, discipline him, and provide for him and his mother. There's not much written about Joseph, but there would be nothing written about Jesus if Joseph hadn't stepped up to his calling to be Jesus' adoptive father. The thing is, unlike me, he didn't set out to adopt. He was obligated to give himself to Jesus by God. It's important to remember that some obligations end up being worth everything.

What do you feel obligated by God to give? How are you doing with this in your life?

Hidden in Plain Sight

The tradition of wrapping gifts is a good one to my mind. It helps gifts to be savored, anticipated, and, most importantly, appreciated. The birth of Christ is, of course, a gift. It is the ultimate gift. God gives us His Son. Gifts of socks, pants, Altoids, DVDs of movies Shannon thinks I'll like, and books she's picked out for me will soon be hidden in plain sight under our tree. Wrapping paper, Scotch tape, and bows will provide thin but effective camouflage. The gospel of Christ can be similarly camouflaged. It can be hidden in plain sight. The gifts under our tree are sure to be opened. The gift of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, may not be for many people. In Luke 2:12 it says, "This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Despite the star and the concert of angels the shepherds beheld, many in Bethlehem missed unwrapping the gift of Jesus. Consider how many people in this town lived through this event and their entire lives completely oblivious to Christ. All they saw, if they noticed anything at all, was a baby born out of wedlock in a barn. How could this be anything to pay attention to, never mind rejoice in? This is like thinking that all there is to those gifts under the tree is wrapping paper, tape, and bows held in place by empty boxes.

Is Jesus Christ a gift you have received (opened) or one you have ignored? Does it feel like God is hidden in plain sight today?

"I don't know how to worship You, Lord."

Confessions like this are powerful and transforming. I haven't just confessed that I don't know how to worship Him, but that I don't know how to love Him, serve Him, offer Him to others, live for Him, or trust Him. Each time I make such a confession I sense God's presence and blessing. God loves the truth more than anyone I know. When I tell Him the truth, no matter how hard it is, I feel His pleasure and am assured of His love. In Luke 2:9 it says, "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." I've often been completely taken by the glory of God in such scenes, but I realize lately than the terror of the shepherds was truth-based and, therefore, had to be pleasing to God as well. The shepherds knew God and knew their own hearts. It wasn't just the appearance of the angel, but how they, the shepherds, appeared and were revealed by God's light that got to them. No one can hide anything from God. To imagine things from God's perspective, our attempts at hiding from Him must be deeply offensive to Him. We actually have record of this in Genesis 3:9. I can still hear The Father in my own life asking, "Where are you?"

Have you told the truth to God this morning? If not, what's keeping you from doing so? Where are you?

The First Day of Advent

Advent means arrival. When we celebrate Advent we celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ into our world. It is not a one time event, but a continuing event. We continually need God in our lives. We need Him to make an entrance and change the core meaning of everything. I remember my first Christmas as a believer. I insisted on attending church, but had no idea how. A friend of mine was Catholic and agreed to take me to "The Midnight Mass." I remember being lost in the service and in the community within the church. I was 19 and had never attended a church service in my life. The elements of the service were entirely mysterious to me. It seemed like so little was connected to the little I knew about God and Jesus. It was a blur of standing, sitting, and waiting in a line to see the priest up front. I don't remember anyone singing or smiling. The service, which would certainly qualify as beautiful to me now, was simply alien. This, however, was somehow appropriate. Jesus was indeed an alien who had arrived in my life. He seemed to never stop doing strange things and making strange requests of me. (I later learned these were demands.) Some of this initial strangeness has never left me. Jesus never intends to visit with people, but to move in. In Luke 2:11 it says, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." He wasn't voted in. If people didn't think they needed a Savior, Jesus doesn't seem to have cared. He came to take over. He always does. To mention David is to bring up the idea of a king. This is what Jesus is. At advent we celebrate the arrival and Heaven-imposed reign of The King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

How is He a King to you today? Will you serve Him or someone else today?

Capture Your Holiday in a Havahart Trap!

It's here! It has been marching your way all year. There's nothing you can do to stop it. It is one week before the end of the year. (My calendar runs out a week later, which, according to our culture's logic, means the world will end even before 2012.) The Biblically dubious season of Advent and Christmas, upon arrival, will do everything possible to chew through December and disappear into 2010. You've got to capture it in a Havahart trap. Who cares if it's more secular than sacred in origins. (I'll explain all this in future postings.) Jesus owns it now and most of us have seen Him use this season to draw hundreds of millions of people all around the world closer to Him. May He do just this with each of us and our families. May he slow down all that typically races by. May we remember the worship services, songs, laughter of children, food, and the things we did for others that blessed them deeply.